gpeltz I had remembered a 1956 movie called, "Bad Seed" and it was about a spooky little girl. Then there was "Demon Seed" 1977 about a killer computer. Both claim legitimacy to rest in the category "Horror Film" This movie "Bad Seed" (2000) Written and Directed by Jon BokenKamp does not fit in the conventional concept of Horror Film, (As the You Tube movie category under which I found it, claimed) No scary monster stalking sorority girls. No Undead, supernatural, or demonic subterfuge here. What we get is something much more interesting. Horror perhaps, but along the line of "A Simple Plan"(1998) Warning Spoiler Alert. I am going to discuss the movie. The style of the film plays for the first reel as a smart homage to the Coen brothers. The second reel gives us a cat and mouse series of events, This part of the movie seemed overplayed, as if to pacify those longing for police sirens. The movie concludes with a revelation, and a redemption. and a fail.The force of the Director is strong with this one.He opens with a stylish flourish, that pulls one right in. a basic breakup scenario, In this instance Preston, played by Luke Wilson, just found out that his wife, Emily played by Mili Avital was having an affair. He leaves the apartment to think things over, but when he returns, he finds her dead. Preston is convinced that Emily's other lover, Jonathan Reedus committed the murder. and In an act of vigilante "justice" kill's Jonathan. He then hides the body in the woods. In a daft plot twist, we discover He killed the wrong guy, he murdered Jonathans brother. There is another major player who enters the plot, a Private Gumshoe named Dick. played by Dennis Farina. He is Hired by Preston who is now on the run from the furious Jonathan who is out to kill him, He us is on the lam as well from the police who think he killed his wife.Jonathan holds a trump card, A video tape from a security monitor, that recorded his brothers murder. Preston spends the next third of the movie trying to locate that incriminating tape. Just at the point where the situation starts straining credibility, The films direction again changes, Now we get the full emotional payoff. Perhaps a tad bit too thick, but still managing to pack a good wallop.The Apocalyptic score was written by Kurt Kuenne and the production design by Chris Eguia reflects a care for the period; Well done cheesy hotel rooms, VCR players, and rotary dial phones, The Editing by Ann Trulove is crisp and propels the action seamlessly. On the other side of the coin, I thought the movie a tad heavy in the sentiment department, It verges on the "sappy" Jonathan and Preston share a common bond, that oddly draws them together, they both loved Emily. So the logical question that arises, but goes unsaid, is, Why would Jonathan kill Emily. (A-Hah!) Might I add that the demise of one of the characters was redundant, The Judicial conclusion was also glossed over, we never heard the sentence, sadly the movie ends with a "Redemption in the rain" replay. I'll not fault the movie for this, it was a good ride while it lasted. Eight out of Ten, "He works in mysterious ways" Stars.

blackisbeauty As far as such "psychological" whodunits go, this one had an OK story-line based on a realistic premise. Unfortunately, the acting was poor, and here I am particularly referring to Luke Wilson in the main role of Preston. He was never really convincing as the "cheated husband" out to avenge both his wife's murder AND the fact that he was cheated in the first place. He tried too hard, as I think someone else also pointed out in a previous comment. Dennis Farina was fair enough in his role as the private Dick (though clearly stereotyped), and overall I liked the way Norman Reedus played the Jonathan character (despite cozing up with somebody else's wife, he turned out to be not exactly a 100 per cent nasty person but actually an interesting character study in himself). Although having said that, there were a couple of things he did over the top ... like setting himself on fire, and walking around with the crucial video-tape in his pocket all along(!)

LilsZoo2 This movie is about obsession, salvation and finally redemption. A loving but absent husband,(Luke Wilson) is told by his wife that she is having and affair,leaves to think things out only to return and discover his wife is dead. He is now the main suspect and needs to find the real killer. In his journey of exploration,hires the private dick, Dick, excellently portrayed by the awesome Dennis Farina. The lover engages the husband in an intricate cat and mouse game that ultimately comes to a shocking discovery. But mostly this film is about normal people when put under pressure do just about anything and think it is reasonable at the time. What makes this one different is that when all is said and done one man makes a choice that will change his life forever.

hippiedj I picked up this film on DVD titled as Bad Seed, because I was in the mood for a mystery and the fact that Luke Wilson and Dennis Farina starred in it.At first, I found things to be a bit standard as far as "thrillers" go, almost on the level of a basic TV movie. But something really starts to draw the viewer in and by watching through to the end, there is really a nice payoff.Don't try to compare this to Hitchcock, just sit back and let the story unfold. When Preston (Luke Wilson) hears his wife confess to having an affair, he storms out to a cafe and when he comes back home he finds her dead. By trying to confront her lover Jonathan (Norman Reedus), things get way out of control, even hiring a private detective (Dennis Farina) proves to make a messy situation even worse. It's easy to say these guys do a LOT of stupid, stupid things (like busting up a motel room) and one would think that in reality no one would make such bad decisions, but I took into consideration that people really act in the strangest ways when confronted with a situation that's extraordinary and no time to really think things through. Preston has his flaws, but he's really an okay guy, as is Jonathan. By appreciating the quiet desperation and increasing tension between them, along with the effective rainy locations in Tacoma and Seattle, the film is somber yet tense.I actually love grey, rainy landscapes -- to me they're calming instead of gloomy. But considering the sadness in Preston's life and both he and Jonathan (as well as the detective) knowing that no matter what they do it's going to end rather messy, the wet greys of the sky and deep greens of the Northwest accent the film in a very melancholic way. The score is beautiful in many scenes, and rather grand for a film of this type made today (particularly one with such a low budget). Actually, the dramatic cues seemed a bit too grand in places, but it reminded me of how mysteries and thrillers back in the 1970s used to have full orchestral scores instead of everything being done on an electronic keyboard. Some very nice piano work, wish I had a soundtrack recording of it.I know that some would just get fed up with these characters' behavior and think that the film just going to have a typical knock-down, drag-out fight to end it all, but I for one was pleasantly surprised to see the way the story took a turn and threw in a twist here and there. Even the ending seemed just right (even if it gives you a Shawshank Redemption deja vu moment). I felt a little sad yet satisfied by the turn of events, as is how I truly think the ending is supposed to affect you. After listening to the audio commentary on the DVD, you may also appreciate more what writer/director Jon Bokenkamp was trying to accomplish.Not a perfect film, but by no means a misfire. I found Preston Tylk/Bad Seed to be a nice diversion from the common Hollywood "thriller" and would recommend it for those not wanting grandiose style and wanting a dramatic tale, something just right to watch with some snacks on a night at home, relaxing.